Chapter Seven
Sunset
Chloe woke up early the next morning to find herself wrapped tightly in Nick’s arms. He’d held her all night long, as though protecting her from an unsure dawn. Chloe smiled as his head turned towards her, still fast asleep, and his hair dashed in clumps over his forehead. Warm against his body, Chloe lifted her finger and brushed the wisps out of his eyes, kissing his temples ever so gently. This was the first time she’d spent the entire night with Nick, the first time she’d lived out her fantasy for a whole 24 hours. With a brief stroke of realism, she wondered where she’d sat in front of the computer all night, and if she was still there, or if she’d gone up to bed. But she closed her eyes against this thought, not wanting to wake up from this dream ever again. She wrapped her arms around Nick again, snuggling close, and burying
her head against his chest. She was about to fall back asleep, when Nick’s groggy voice cut through the silence.
"Good morning, sexy," he murmured against her tousled hair. His hands stroked her bare back, sending shivers down her spine. "Mmm…"
Chloe’s lips turned up in a smile, and she kissed his chest. "Mmm yourself," she whispered. "And good morning."
Nick chuckled, and turned over onto his back. "Last night…" he began. "Baby, you were incredible."
Chloe blushed slightly, feeling her skin tingle. "I had a good teacher," she teased, raising her eyes to meet his for the first time that morning. The urge to kiss him ran through her, and she pulled herself up to meet his lips.
"Do you wanna get up?" Nick asked, as she lay back down against his chest. He already knew the answer.
Chloe shook her head. "I never want to leave," she murmured. "Never ever."
"You don’t have to, Chloe. I’ll hold you forever, I promise." Nick caressed her shoulder blades, entwining his fingers in her hair, and kissing her sweetly.
Chloe closed her eyes again, savoring every moment of this utter happiness. She wanted to just lie here in his arms for the rest of her life, feeling his love around her, and his hands touching her.
"One question," Nick broke in suddenly.
Chloe raised her head, not even an inch from his face. "Hmm?"
Nick grinned slyly. "Am I sexual?"
"Ohhhhh," Chloe giggled, and kissed him shyly. "You are so sexual, Nick. You have no idea."
"But I think I do," Nick challenged. "I was there, you know."
"Oh I know!" His teases sent Chloe into a fit of giggles and she placed her head down against his chest to quiet herself. In the moment she couldn’t see him, she reflected on the events of the past night. "Nick?"
"Yes, sexy?"
Chloe smiled at his new nickname for her. "How does it feel to…you know…to be completely mine?"
Nick’s sly smile appeared again, and consumed his face. "Let me show you," he whispered. He ducked under the comforter then, and within the second, Chloe felt him tugging on her arms to join him.
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"What do you MEAN, it’s not Nick Carter?!"
Shanna was at the police station. Her father, an officer in the force, had compelled her last night to tell her what she had been keeping from him about Chloe. Shanna had been aloof the past five months, since Chloe had told her about Nick, but last night, she’d finally spilled the secret to her father. In his concern for his daughter, and for Chloe,
he’d placed a federal trace on this so-called Backstreet Boy. The results had just been found, and they were not good.
"I’m sorry Shanna," said her father, remorse in his eyes. "Maybe you should tell Chloe yourself. I’ll tell her father."
"No!" Shanna exploded. "You can’t tell him! I mean…he doesn’t…well, fine. But he doesn’t really know anything."
Shanna’s father shook his head. "He has to know about his daughter," he said slowly. "And if it has to be me that tells him, then I have to assume that responsibility."
Shanna’s shoulders began to shake. Oh, Chloe, she thought painfully. She’s so in love with him, what do I tell her?
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"Nick?"
"Yes, sexy?"
Chloe giggled. "What time is it?"
Nick turned to face her in the bed, his eyes shining. "Hmmm," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. "Time to make you mine again."
Chloe smiled, placing her hands against his chest. "Seriously," she said. "I mean, am I still sitting in front of the computer at home, sleeping?"
Nick shook his head, and wrapped his warm hands around her. "No, sexy, you’re here with me. And I forbid you to leave.
"Oh, I don’t plan on leaving," Chloe informed him, her index finger tracing his chest. "I just wanna know what time it is!"
Nick shifted, and turned to look at the clock on his bedside table.
"It’s 8:30am," he murmured.
"My dad won’t even be up yet!" Chloe exclaimed. "I thought it was so much later."
Nick chuckled, and kissed her neck. "More time for me," he whispered.
"Baby, I’ll give you all the time in the world," Chloe replied, kissing him. "But remind me at 9am that I gotta go."
Nick sent her a sad puppy dog face, but said, "Oh alright. Can we enjoy our half hour here together, though?"
Chloe grinned, and snuggled closer to Nick. "You bet we can."
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Chloe’s father had just woken up from a fitful sleep. Twisting in his bed, Robert furrowed his eyebrows, struggling to remember the nightmare he’d just experienced. "Think!" he commanded himself, stepping out of the bed and into his slippers. The dream had been about Chloe, he knew
that much. With intense force, the memories all of a sudden hit him. "Omigod," he whispered aloud. "Chloe!"
He’d dreamt that someone had killed his daughter, someone lacking the manifestation of a face, but with the emotions of a killer. He gasped, remembering the horror.
Struggling out of the room, Robert made his way across the hall to his daughter’s bedroom, praying she would be there. "Chloe?" he said aloud, creaking open the door. His eyes laid to rest on her bed…her empty bed.
"Oh no."
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Shanna, a grimace altering her pretty features, picked up the telephone. She’d made the decision to tell Chloe about this impostor as soon as she could, but she was not looking forward to it. Her heart was breaking for her friend, and she was afraid of how Chloe would react.
"Just breathe," she told herself sullenly, dialing Chloe’s number. "If anything, she’ll thank me for telling her the truth, before she gets hurt anymore."
The phone began to ring, and Shanna held her breath. As she waited for someone to pick up on the other line, she stared out the window. The sun was coming up through the blinds, bright and shining as it always was this early in the morning. Shanna laughed bitterly, tears forming in her eyes. She hadn’t realized how important Nick had been to
Chloe until this moment. As the sun rose, it’s oath to a new day seemed to be shadowed over by the pain of a heartbreaking sunset.
The phone continued to ring, it’s irritable sound echoing through an emotionally empty Woodward household.
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"Baby, we should get up."
Nick raised his head from its place buried in Chloe’s shoulder, and cocked his head. "You think so?" he asked. "I don’t wanna."
"I know, me either," Chloe agreed. "But my dad will be coming downstairs soon, and I have a feeling that I’m just sitting at the computer sleeping. He’ll freak out."
Nick sighed. "Yeah I guess," he said finally. He grinned. "You’re not gonna tell him, are you?"
Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "Not in a million years," she replied, kissing Nick’s ear. "What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him."
A sudden breeze came through the window, and Chloe shivered, turning to look outside. The sun was up now, shining through the blinds. "I love the sunrise," she whispered. "It’s always so pretty."
Nick wrapped his arms around Chloe, protecting her from the chilled air. He kissed the back of her neck. "I have an idea," he said. "Come on." He sat up in the bed.
Chloe looked back at him, puzzled. "Come on?" she repeated. "Where?"
Nick swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on a pair of boxers. "Outside," he said simply, taking hold of Chloe’s hand.
Chloe giggled at his spontaneity. "I’m not wearing any clothes though!" she protested as he pulled her out of the bed.
Nick grinned, and grabbed a blanket off the foot of the bed. He wrapped it around her shoulders. "Good enough?" he asked.
"Depends on where we’re going," Chloe teased.
"Just outside." He kissed her, and led her out of the room.
As they walked, the phone began to ring, loudly and insistently.
"Should you answer that?" Chloe asked.
"Nope, I could care less who’s on the phone." Nick said. "I just want to be with you right now."
Chloe grinned, and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I love you," she whispered.
Nick embraced her, and Chloe’s blanket fell to the floor. As the two kissed, the only sound was their hearts beating in time with one another.
All of a sudden, a harsh voice broke into Chloe’s fantasy. It was her father.
"Chloe Woodward, what do you think you’re doing?!"
Chloe’s dream was coming to an end.
